Ayaka

Details

Name: Ayaka (アヤカ)
Real/Full name: Kimura Ayaka (木村絢香)
Nickname(s): Aya-chan
Hello! Project Status:
1. 1999-06-27: Member
2. 2008-04-30: Graduated
Date of Birth: 1981-10-30
Age: 28 years, 4 months, 1 week, 6 days old
Place of Birth: Hyogo, Japan
Blood type: AB

Biography

Ayaka was the leader, and for a long time the only member, of Hello! Project's defunct Hawaiian group Coconuts Musume.

Born in Japan, Ayaka spent most of her teenage years living in Hawaii, and she is fluent to a native level in both English and Japanese. She is probably best known to foreign fans for her Surprise English Lessons, which introduced many people to the organisation.

Ayaka graduated from the Hello! Project at the end of April 2008 to concentrate on acting, and signed for Tristone Entertainment under the name Nagate Ayaka (長手絢香). She also presents or appears on a couple of weekly radio shows.

Ayaka announced her marriage to world ranking professional golfer Tanihara Hideto in July 2008, having registered the marriage on July 8th. The ceremony took place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Tokyo on February 21st 2009.